The Bombay High Court has granted bail to Jagdishprasad Mohanlal Joshi, the owner of Goa Gutka, pending the hearing of his appeal against a 10-year sentence for criminal conspiracy and assisting in setting up gutka manufacturing units for fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his brother Anees Ibrahim in 2002. The single bench of Justice Bharati Dangre suspended Joshi's sentence and granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh.
In January of this year, a special court convicted Joshi, along with Jamiruddin Ansari and 1993 blast-accused Farukh Mansuri, on charges of criminal conspiracy under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and three charges under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) for their involvement in an organized crime syndicate.
Joshi's legal team, consisting of senior advocate Aabad Ponda and advocate Subhash Jadhav, argued that the special court's order suffered from manifest and fatal errors. They claimed that Joshi had been falsely implicated in the crime and had no motive or intention to commit such acts. The lawyers also highlighted that Joshi had not gained any pecuniary benefit from the alleged unlawful activities and had been a victim of constant threats from underworld gang members.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) alleged that Joshi's dispute with Manikchand Gutka owner Rasiklal Dhariwal led to approaching Dawood Ibrahim for a settlement. As part of the settlement, Dawood sought their assistance in setting up gutka manufacturing units in Karachi, Pakistan. The CBI claimed that Joshi took responsibility for aiding and assisting in the installation of machinery for the Gutka plant, which was to be called the 'Fire Gutka Company'.
Joshi had approached the Bombay High Court after the special court's conviction, and a division bench directed his release on interim bail based on his age and ailments. He subsequently filed an interim application seeking bail pending the hearing of his appeal against conviction.
The CBI has also filed an appeal against the order that discharged another accused, Rajesh Panchariya, on April 13, 2018.
With the grant of bail, Joshi will be released from custody while awaiting the outcome of his appeal before the Bombay High Court.
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